Gun Check at Courthouses

[Menzoberranzan]

I had to visit the courthouse today to get a parking ticket taken care of (had valid handicap placard on vehicle parked at meter). Since I carry everywhere, I called ahead to see if there were lockers or some other storage for firearms available to HCP holders. According to the person I spoke to, the secureing of firearms at the courthouse was available only to law enforcement.

I have a couple questions about this, first was this information correct, and if so, what can we do to get lockers at all courthouses. Personally, I really dislike having to leave my firearm at home or locked in my car. What if I do need it? What if it is stolen from my car?

[Tim Nunan]

As far as I know there is no restriction on carry in Courthouses unless they are properly posted. You cannot carry into a court room if court is in session.

[Menzoberranzan]

The one on 2nd Ave and James Robertson in Nashville is quite clearly and properly posted. So I did not attempt to carry inside. I still don't feel right leaving my firearm in the car or at home.

[David Lewis]

By statute, court rooms are off-limits for carry, except for certain narrowly defined circumstances involving on-duty & court officers. The court houses themselves are not automatically no-carry locations, unless, as noted, they are properly posted. In my admittedly limited experience, the statute is mostly honored in the breach.

I believe the Kefauver Federal Courthouse in Nashville does indeed have lockers available at the entry, but I'm not sure if they're LE-only.

David

[tjbert47]

Gun Check at Courthouses would be fine. But what I really want to see is Park and Restaurant carry.

[David Lewis]

[bobsguns]

Not only do they not supply a checking area for one's handgun, they also won't do so for one's pocketknife.

[johnharris]

The issue about check stations has come up in the past relative to businesses and other quasi-public establishments. Generally, the legislature's response is that they do not want to either spend the tax dollars or require private property owners to private dollars in order to provide the lockers. Nothing prevents them from doing it, they just do not want to force it as a condition to banning weapons.

The ban on knives is just silly. I carried pocket knives in the courthouse for years and nothing was ever said. Indeed, I remember the time when there were no checks in the Davidson County courthouse, then the checks were only at domestic court, now they think they live on mount Olympus and we are coming to "their" land.